10. Ricardo Almeida guillotines Rob Yundt (2/2/08) After almost four years away from the game Ricardo Almeida returned at UFC 81 to take on Alaska’s Rob Yundt. The Gracie fighter wasted no time getting it to the mat and when Yundt tried to reverse postions he locked in a guillotine choke with one arm inside. Yundt thought he’d just slam his way out, but Almeida wasn’t having it. He used the momentum to flip Yundt over and then finished the choke from the top position at the 1:08 mark. Smooth, bra. 9. Yoshiyuki Yoshida chokes out War Machine (5/24/08)

Japan’s Yoshiyuki Yoshida made his UFC debut at UFC 84 against the man then known as Jon Koppenhaver. Yoshida locked up an anaconda choke less than a minute into the first and Koppenhaver, alpha male that he is, declined to tap and instead took a pleasant little nap. Okay, so it’s only a technical submission, and not the fanciest finish you’ll ever see, but damn was it satisfying. War (or Mr. Machine, as he’s known down at the bank) would later get chucked from the UFC for making stupid comments about Evan Tanner’s death and for refusing a fight with Brandon Wolff. Yoshida would go on to get knocked into a Zen-like peacefulness by Josh Koscheck.

We all knew Joe Stevenson was probably in for a rough night when he faced B.J. Penn at UFC 80, but we didn’t expect him to come out of it looking like an extra in a horror movie. First Penn opened a deep gash on Stevenson’s forehead with one of a series of nasty elbows, then he locked in a rear naked choke and squeezed until the blood came squirting out of Stevenson’s head. Got pretty good height too. After the fight Penn really set a bad example for all the kids out there, hygiene-wise, by licking Stevenson’s blood off his gloves. Stevenson, well, let’s just say he took the loss hard.

Maybe not the craziest submission ever, but it makes the list for sheer domination factor. Fedor Emelianenko needed just thirty-six seconds to tap out Tim Sylvia, first landing a few punches to put him “on queah street,” in Tim’s words, then finishing it with a modified, trachea-crushing rear naked choke. Sylvia would later admit to not knowing exactly what kind of choke it was, but admitted “it hurt like hell.” I’m sure Affliction would say the same thing about what it felt like to pay you $800,000 for that performance.

It’s no secret that Jacare knows his way around a submission, but this one against Zelg Galesic at Dream.6 was particularly pretty to watch. It starts with Souza just owning Galesic on the ground, working his way into mount like it’s just part of his warm-up routine. It’s when Galesic thinks he’s escaped that things get rough. The leg comes over and next thing you know Galesic is doing his best telegraph operator impression: tap, tap, tap.

This memorable finish also made our “greatest showboating moments” list, and it deserves to be on here too because it’s just that sweet. Diaz got tossed around and beaten up by Pellegrino for the first seven or eight minutes of this fight, but when he got careless during a big slam he left himself open. Diaz saw the opening and locked on a triangle choke without even bothering to pull Pellegrino’s head down for the finish. His hands were busy giving the old “Stockton heybuddy” to the fans in attendance at the Broomfield Event Center, but Pellegrino tapped anyway. Never say Nate Diaz can’t multi-task.

4. Mitsushiro Ishida sweeps and submits Justin Wilcox (9/20/08)

The scene was the Playboy Mansion. Strikeforce was the organization. Justin Wilcox went looking for a single-leg and got something else entirely. Ishida locked on the figure-four and then flipped Wilcox right into position for the armbar, finishing off the kind of submission that usually only works in theory. Don’t beat yourself up about it, Justin. We didn’t see it coming either.

It was a given that Maia would make this list. The only question is, for which sub? We like this triangle choke with a side of face-smashing that he pulled off against Ed Herman. It’s the most efficient way of ensuring that for one reason or another, your opponent will either quit or lose consciousness. Herman decided on the latter, and that’s his choice, you know?

It’s no secret that we’re fans of this crazy little son of bitch in tights, and this inventive finish is a big part of why. While sitting pretty in the mount against Katsuhiko Nagata at Dream.4, Aoki showed us all that the gogoplata isn’t just for stoners and people utilizing the guard. He simply slipped his foot across Nagata’s face and presto! Why didn’t we think of that?

As part of his attempt to win more Submission of the Night bonuses than anyone else, Dustin Hazelett pulled off this beauty against Josh Burkman at the TUF 7 Finale. It starts with a whizzer/ankle pick takedown, then Hazelett figures, what the hell, and jumps into an armbar. Honestly, they just don’t come much slicker than that.

Those are our favorites. Feel free to tell us about yours in the comments section.

Corey Hill's swinging leg breaker on himself. Honorable mention to Corey Hill making millions of wannabe MMAers submit to a life of office work for same move.

fourTwenty- December 30, 2008 at 6:44 am

You do realize that he's right... By next year this is going to be nothing but Hazlette and Maia. With hopefully Joe Rogan putting a regional ref in a twister thrown in somewhere.

Anonymous- December 30, 2008 at 6:14 am

C'mon, no one is giving Miguel Torres any credit. He went from a Frank Mir shoulder lock, to an omaplata, to a anaconda choke on Chase Beebe. It looked like an Eddie Bravo jiu-jitsu exhibition!

j spice- December 30, 2008 at 6:10 am

Dustin repin the nasy nati!!!!

CWR- December 30, 2008 at 5:27 am

The entire article I was waiting to see where Hazelett's armbar ranked. By the time I reached #2 I thought you had forgotten that beauty and was going to give you an ear full. Great list.

maxwell- December 30, 2008 at 3:55 am

i just wanted to add you guys seriously need to start adding bylines to your posts, so i can make fun off the idiot that wrote
is doing his best telegraph operator impression: tap, tap, tap.
nice bro, real nice.

Chri534- December 30, 2008 at 12:39 am

I definitely think McLovin's transition to a reverse armbar at UFC 91 was a huge snub. What, you couldn't at least make it a co-winner on this list?

I wonder how long it's going to take before this list is just 10 clips of Dustin Hazelett...

William Shatner- December 29, 2008 at 11:16 pm

The last Hughes St.Pierre fight was in 2007. This is a list for best submissions of 2008. Got that morons!

UFCinCALGARY- December 29, 2008 at 9:36 pm

@ sloppy seconds..
i think it was tap TAP TAP FUCKING TAP!

Anonymous- December 29, 2008 at 9:36 pm

didnt Marcus Arelio have a sick submission early this year? Am i thinking of something else?

Above- December 29, 2008 at 9:18 pm

Jeff is retarded.

Ted Nutmeg- December 29, 2008 at 9:14 pm

No necktie is an oversight, most likely deliberate due to C.B. Dolloway's full-bore assholism.

Jeff- December 29, 2008 at 8:55 pm

Mir's kneebar over Lesnar isn't even on the list? I'd say that was the submission of the year.

SloppySeconds- December 29, 2008 at 8:22 pm

Actually, when GSP made Matt Hughes Scream, "Tap...TAP!! Ouhwee!!!" that was classic.

greenseed- December 29, 2008 at 8:01 pm

i agree with half amazing

and cbs submission was nullified by the fact he got armbarred twice by am'r s'dollah

Eveboy420- December 29, 2008 at 7:32 pm

Or atleast Efrains just because it was on that DOUCHE BAG JUNIE! i think that alone should warrant atleast 10th!

Eveboy420- December 29, 2008 at 7:32 pm

I realize they were only on TUF 8 but come on none of Vinny's subs? I definitely thought he shoulda had one up there...

William Shatner- December 29, 2008 at 7:04 pm

Aoki's submission was the best with Ishida's a distant second. Also when Maia got off of Ed Herman. Herman looked dead!

Jugger- December 29, 2008 at 6:56 pm

Great list and a great #1 and #2. I also can't stand CB but his Peruvian Necktie deserves, at least, an honorable mention.

Tumbleweed Lavigne- December 29, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Definitely agree that CB Dollaway, douchebag though he be, deserves to be on this list (possibly high up) for the peruvian necktie. That was a great submission.

maxwell- December 29, 2008 at 6:50 pm

i agree, as big a douchebag as he is, the necktie was sweet. also having a victory via anything peruvian on your record is pretty fucking sweet also.

Patrick- December 29, 2008 at 6:49 pm

As soon as I saw the name of this article I thought "Hazelett's armbar of Burkman".
Good choice.

Half Amazing- December 29, 2008 at 6:48 pm

Dustin Hazelett should be on this list twice for his omo-into-armbar of Barncat.

Anonymous- December 29, 2008 at 6:43 pm

i dont kno who it is but the onoplata to armbar!!! much sicker than guillllotine!!

jdt- December 29, 2008 at 6:06 pm

Miguel torres' guillitine of chase beebe was incredible.

Scott- December 29, 2008 at 5:59 pm

Well, the mounted gogoplata wasn't invented by Aoki, he was just the first to use it in MMA. I think Eddie Bravo even showed it to him on a trip to Japan.

ihatejardine!!alot- December 29, 2008 at 5:58 pm

what about CB and his necktie

Smackdaddiest1- December 29, 2008 at 5:57 pm

Yeah, that peruvian necktie by CB Dollaway was pretty f'n sweet..... even if he is a complete toolbag.

Dmonicideals- December 29, 2008 at 5:48 pm

I think you should have had Mirs kneebar as 9th and kept 10th the Almeida sub, just for the sake of never hearing about................ HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA............. "War Machine" ever again.